Thump. Thump. Thump.
I opened my eyes at my head’s audible pounding and let out a soft groan.
“What happened last night…?”
My mouth was dry and tasted horrible as I sat up slowly, rubbing my temples.
The thumping ca again, and I cocked my head as I realized it wasn’t my brain trying to escape my skull.
“Fischer!” a feminine voice called. “Are you alive in there?”
Despite my hangover, I smiled at the welco voice.
I stumbled to the door and threw it open.
“Ah, there you are!” Maria bead a smile and held sothing out. “Coffee?”
I groaned in delight and accepted the drink.
“I could kiss you, Maria.”
She smirked at .
“You could, but maybe you should brush your teeth first—I caught a whiff of dad’s breath this morning, and I was notimpressed.”
My hungover brain shut down at her saying I could kiss her, but at her comnt about Roger, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“How’s he doing today? I can only rember snippets of last night, but I know for a fact that he was absolutely hamred.”
“He’s doing much worse than you. That storm last night probably didn’t help—I know it woke up a few tis.”
“... there was a storm?”
She covered her mouth and giggled.
“You were probably too drunk to hear the thunder. It was the loudest I’d ever heard—the house even shook a few tis.”
“Really? I slept all the way through, far as I can rember…”
“Maybe dad did too, but he still crawled back to bed after he had breakfast.”
“He’s taking the morning off…? Damn—he must be in rough shape.”
“Yeah, no kidding. I can’t rember the last ti he did so.”
I sipped my coffee. The golden liquid washed away the bad taste in my mouth, and I luxuriated in its velvety bitterness.
“Ah. I needed that. Thank you.” I gave her a sheepish smile. “Were one of those croissants for , or…?”
“What makes you think I have pastries?” she asked, her hand still hidden behind her back.
“I could sll that flaky, buttery goodness from a mile away.”
She grinned and removed a hand from behind her back, revealing a tray with two pastries.
“I suppose you can have one of my croissants.”
“What would I do without you?”
I grabbed the smaller one and took a bite. As with the coffee, the flavors were a welco reprieve, and I let out a content mmm as I chewed, my eyes closed in delight.
After another sip of coffee, I smiled at Maria.
“Did you want to go fishing?”
“I did—I wanted to talk to you about sothing, too…”
“Oh? What’s that?”
She shook her head.
“It can wait. Are you ready to go now?”
“Let just freshen up and have a quick shower.”
“Alright—I’ll wait out here. The sun feels lovely this morning.”
***
As we walked down to the shore, I couldn’t help but agree with Maria—the sun felt amazing on my skin. A hot shower had done wonders for my hangover, and I felt vastly improved from when I’d woken. A flitting breeze ca from the west, and I closed my eyes, a smile coming to my face unbidden.
We traveled in a comfortable silence, both simply happy to be there.
I wasted no ti in putting a slice of eel on my line, then passed it to Maria to cast.
“You do it,” she said, holding her hands up to stop .
“You’re sure? I’m happy to share.”
“Yeah, I’m sure—but I have a condition.”
“Oh?”
“I want you to cast it as far as you can.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Like… as far as a cultivator can, you an?”
“Yep. Without breaking the rod, I an.”
I shrugged, held the line back, then flicked the rod forward. It was a fraction of my strength, but the bait and sinker soared high over the waves, arcing through the sky for a good ten seconds before hitting the water’s surface with an inaudible splash.
Maria laughed.
“Well, that confirms it—you’re definitely a cultivator.”
“You got ,” I said, grinning.
I wound the line taut, and we sat on the sand, both watching the ocean’s movent.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked.
She chewed her lip as she stared out at sea.
“Mom told sothing… well, sothing unbelievable last night when I got ho.”
My chest constricted, and my vision went distant. Had she told Maria about the cult after I explicitly asked her not to?
I tensed my jaw and did my best to keep my face calm.
“What did she say?”
“She told you’re from another world.”
“Anything else?”
“... anything else?” she asked, incredulous.“She told you’re from another world, Fischer—what else could there be to say?”
The chains constricting my chest faded away, and I let out a small laugh.
“What did she tell you, exactly?”
“She said you’re sothing called a ‘traveler’, and that if I wanted to…” She trailed off, her face going red, then sighed and continued. “She said if I wanted to get involved with you, I should know what you are.”
“A ‘traveler’, huh?” I leaned back on one hand and looked up at the sky. “I had no idea they knew…”
“It’s true, then?”
“Yeah. It’s true.”
“The continent you said you ca from—it was in another world?”
“Yeah, it was. Sorry for misleading you—it’s… well, it’s a lot, you know?”
Her eyebrows knitted, and I guessed she was applying her new knowledge to everything I’d told her while camping.
Her gaze shot up, locking eyes with . They were sharp, curious, and above all, filled with compassion.
“Would you tell everything? The whole truth?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Maria, I just confird I’m so kind of interplanetary traveler.”
She raised one back at .
“Yeah, so?”
“You don’t want to… I don’t know… run away or sothing?”
She snorted.
“No, I don’t want to run away, you big idiot.”
She laid a hand on my shoulder.
“I want to know more. Would you tell ?”
Her face was sincere; she really did want to know more.
I opened my mouth, and the words started pouring out.
***
By the ti I finished talking, the sun had climbed higher in the sky. I’d been talking for what felt like hours, only stopping to catch the mature sea perch that took the hook half-way through my tale.
The mid-morning heat had banished any remnant of the cool night, and I stretched my legs out, enjoying the sun’s warmth.
Maria put a hand on my back and moved it in comforting circles.
“I’m so sorry, Fischer.”
I gave her a wincing smile.
“You still don’t want to run away?”
“No. I don’t.”
She leaned her head on my shoulder, and my thoughts stirred. I’d told her everything but the cult Barry was heading, and that it was my food causing people to beco cultivators.
I chewed my cheek, considering what to do. Eventually, I decided to be honest.
“There’s more…”
I unloaded everything, filling in the details I’d skipped over.
Her face went through a series of emotions, but she never spoke, simply listening to my story. When I’d finished, she sat across from , her legs crossed and chin resting on her hands.
She looked up at , her face serious.
“You’re telling Barry and my mom are cultivators?”
“At least them, yeah. There could be more, but I’ve asked to not be included—the less I know, the better.”
“And they view you as… what? A god?”
“A god waiting to happen, I guess?”
Her gaze had strayed elsewhere, but it snapped up to again.
“I won’t lie—I’m a little offended that you thought our ti away was part of so conspiracy.”
I grimaced.
“I’m sorry. Despite their good intentions, my friends were sneaking around behind my back. I was feeling a little betrayed and wasn’t thinking straight.”
“It’s fine. You’ll just have to make it up to …”
She stood and stretched, raising both arms high as she let out a soft noise. After the stretch, she rubbed her chin in exaggerated thought and narrowed her eyes as she stared into the far distance..
A loud “hmmmm” ca from her throat, then she turned to , her mouth ajar in feigned realization.
“What is it?” I asked.
She smirked.
“I just had an idea of how you can make it up to …”
***
Maria lounged in the sand hugging a rather content Corporal Claws. She ran her small fingers through Claw’s belly fur, making the otter coo.
“You are just too cute,” she said, giggling at the way Claws grinned up at her.
“Stop—you’ll make blush.”
Corporal Claws’ head darted toward , a scowl plastered over her face as she chirped indignantly.
“Yes, yes, I know she was talking about you.”
Maria giggled again.
“You like being the center of attention, don’t you, Claws?”
She chirped her unequivocal agreent, nodding her head as Maria resud giving her scritches.
I spun back around to check on my pan atop the campfire.
The fat was bubbling around the fish’s sides, turning the crumbing a delightfully golden hue.
I’d removed the fish’s filets, cut them into large chunks, then covered them in a herb, spice, and breadcrumb coating.
The sll of seasoning was already wafting up as the chunks of fish fried—my mouth watered, anticipating the al.
I flipped one piece of fish with so tongs. The bottom side was perfectly cooked, so I rotated the rest of them. Exposing the undersides to the air made the aromas explode out, and I heard a small nose start sniffing the air incessantly.
I spun with a smile.
“You want so too, claws?”
Her fangs were extended, and she nodded fervently.
I looked back toward the pan as nervous butterflies took flight in my stomach. Rather than let my thoughts wander, I fussed over the fish, using the tongs to bob them down below the bubbling tallow.
Before I knew it, every side of crumbing was golden brown, so I removed a chunk to test. I poked it with my trusty tongs, and the flesh was firm; the fish was ready.
I removed the fish and put it on a rack sitting atop a breadboard, letting any excess oil fall away.
Staring down at them, the butterflies in my abdon multiplied, feeling as though they were attempting to escape.
I took a deep breath, paused a mont, then spun.
Both ladies sat on the ground, their eyes glued to the food in my hands. With small, asured steps, I went to them, placing the breadboard down on the sands.
Claws, ever impatient, picked one up imdiately; the fish was still way too hot, so she juggled it from paw to paw, her eyes wide with regret.
The sight made laugh, and so of the butterflies stopped flapping so vigorously.
Then, I glanced at Maria, and they all took flight once more.
She looked up at , and I kneeled down beside her.
“Are… are you sure, Maria?”
“What do you an?” she replied, a smile on her lips.
“This can’t be taken back. If you change your mind, there’s no way to—”
She leaned in and planted a soft peck on my lips.
My brain short-circuited, and the butterflies dissipated like dust in the wind. I blinked at her as she pulled back, my face flushing.
“Er—thank you…”
She giggled and covered her mouth, then leaned forward once more.
Grabbing the back of my neck with one hand, she pulled forward and pressed her lips against mine.
They were softer than velvet, warr and more comforting than the sun’s rays. The mont lasted an eternity, yet was over too soon.
She pulled away, letting out a shaky breath as she stared into my eyes. Her cheeks were flushed as she smiled at .
“I’m sure, Fischer. I won’t regret it.”
She turned to Claws, who’d stopped juggling the fish and stared at us with a slack jaw and wide eyes.
“Do you mind, Claws?” Maria asked, pointing at the cooled food in her paws.
Corporal Claws, my troubleso otter, blinked in response then slowly nodded, holding the golden chunk of fish out.
Maria grabbed it and bead a grin at .
Her eyes sparkled as she fixed her attention on the fish, and ti slowed for as she lifted it to her mouth.
She bit down and the fried breadcrumbs made a satisfying crunch.
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